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. 2017 Sep 22;66(17):1–13. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6617a1

FIGURE 2.

This figure is a bar chart showing the percentage of self-reported seat belt use among adults aged ≥18 years. Results are categorized by primary versus secondary seat belt enforcement (and combined enforcement), which are grouped by six population levels: metropolitan areas of ≥1,000,000 population, metropolitan areas of 250,000–999,999 population, metropolitan areas of <250,000 population, nonmetropolitan areas with an urban population of ≥20,000, nonmetropolitan areas with an urban population of 2,500–19,999, and nonmetropolitan areas with an urban population of <2,500. Seat belt use was highest in the most urban counties and lowest in the most rural counties.

Self-reported seat belt use among adults aged ≥18 years, by rural-urban designation, metropolitan status,* and type of state seat belt enforcement — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2014

* Rural and urban designations were determined using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2013 rural-urban continuum codes. Metropolitan counties include counties in metropolitan areas of ≥1,000,000 population, counties in metropolitan areas of 250,000–999,999 population, and counties in metropolitan areas of <250,000 population. Nonmetropolitan counties include counties in nonmetropolitan areas with an urban population of ≥20,000, counties in nonmetropolitan areas with an urban population of 2,500–19,999, and counties that are completely rural or with <2,500 urban population.

Primary or secondary enforcement. In 2014, a total of 33 states and the District of Columbia (DC) had primary enforcement, 16 states had secondary enforcement, and one state (New Hampshire) had no requirement for seat belt use by adults. States with primary enforcement in 2014 included Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. States with secondary enforcement in 2014 included Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming. New Hampshire was grouped with secondary enforcement states for analysis purposes.